Rate My Professor Marcela Henao-Tamayo

Dr. Henao-Tamayo's research centers on understanding host-pathogen interactions during Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission and the immunopathogenesis of infections caused by mycobacterial species including M. tuberculosis, M. avium, and M. abscessus. Her lab employs multiparametric flow cytometry, single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, and data modeling to evaluate immune responses, vaccine efficacy, and biomarkers of protection. Notable projects include the Immune Mechanisms of Protection Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Center (IMPAC-TB), guinea pig models for nontuberculous mycobacteria disease, and the SolaVAX-TB/MucosImmune intranasal vaccine booster, which demonstrates protection in chronic Mtb infection models. She has contributed to COVID-19 research, including immune response evaluations for inactivated vaccines and collaborations on BCG redirection and pan-coronavirus vaccines. Her work has attracted NIH funding, such as $1.2 million in 2019 for advancing a new tuberculosis vaccine. Recognized as a 2022-2024 Monfort Professor, Dr. Henao-Tamayo's impact is reflected in over 5,500 Google Scholar citations. Key publications include "B cells and iBALT in TB immunity & pathogenesis" (Frontiers in Immunology, 2026), "Dose-Dependent Efficacy of a Riboflavin and Ultraviolet Light-Inactivated Whole-Virion SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in a Hamster Infection Challenge Model" (Vaccines, 2026), "Immunopathological outcomes are isolate dependent in chronic Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease" (Disease Models & Mechanisms, 2026), and "A mouse model of tuberculosis reinfection" (Tuberculosis, 2012).